OpenUSD 26.03 adds support for 3D Gaussian Splats
The standard ALab USD scene, rendered using hdParticleField, OpenUSD’s new reference renderer for 3D Gaussian Splatting data.
The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) has announced OpenUSD 26.03, the latest specification for the Universal Scene Description framework.
The update adds support for 3D Gaussian Splatting, introducing a new schema for representing 3DGS data as a USD prim type, and a reference Gaussian Splat renderer.
The changes should further accelerate the use of 3D Gaussian Splatting in production: particularly in VFX, virtual production and animation, but also in visualization work.
An increasingly popular new way to reconstruct and render objects and environments in 3D
3D Gaussian Splatting provides a new way to reconstruct real-world objects from source images or video and render them in 3D.
Like photogrammetry, it begins by generating a point cloud of from a set of source photos, but rather than converting the point cloud to a textured mesh, it converts it to a set of translucent ellipsoids or ‘gaussians’, using machine learning to determine the correct color for each.
The result is a fast-rendering 3D representation of the object or environment being scanned that captures features that are difficult to recreate using traditional photogrammetry workflows, like long thin structures and reflective or semi-transparent materials.
Now supported natively in OpenUSD
OpenUSD 26.03 introduces native support for 3DGS data through the new UsdVolParticleField3DGaussianSplat schema: one of a new family of particle field schemas.
In production, 3DGS data is currently mainly exchanged in PLY format, so the AOUSD has also released a script to convert PLY files containing Gaussians to USD.
A new reference Gaussian splat renderer, hdParticleField, makes it possible to visualize 3DGS data within USD files, in the same way that the existing hdStorm does for conventional geometry.
The second key 3D data interchange format to announce 3DGS support
3D Gaussian Splatting is already widely used in VFX and virtual production pipelines, particularly as a way to represent real-world environments.
Native support within the OpenUSD framework – on which many studios’ pipelines are now based – can only accelerate its adoption.
The change will also make 3DGS workflows more accessible for non-entertainment work: one of the aims of the AOUSD is to promote adoption of OpenUSD in architecture and manufacturing.
OpenUSD is the second major 3D data format to announce native support for 3DGS data, with a Gaussian Splatting extension for glTF now at the release candidate stage.
Other changes in OpenUSD 26.03: support for WebAssembly
Support for 3D Gaussian Splatting isn’t the only new feature in USD 26.03 – and the other major new change is aimed at a completely different group of users.
OpenUSD can now be compiled to WebAssembly, primarily used in web browsers.
Other changes include – still experimental – extensions of support for rigged and skinned characters within OpenUSD, and performance optimizations, particularly to stage load times.
Read more about OpenUSD 26.03 on the AOUSD website
Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.